I’m going on holiday for a week tomorrow. It’s the first time I’ve left the UK in 3 years. I used to travel all the time, so it will feel lovely to be away. What a year it has been so far. I can honestly say this has been the most challenging year with regards to singing so far.

There have been times where it’s done my head in and times where it’s left me feeling euphoric. There’s absolutely no way that I will ever stop and I know things will just keep building from here, but I have worked so hard this year to start again and get myself out there, and it’s not easy to organise events in venues and be doing everything for it myself to get it out there, but at the same time I have learnt a lot, am growing all the time and am stepping more and more into my power. There are times I’ve sang better than I‘ve ever sang. My Halifax Playhouse Julie show was the best I’ve done it so far. I get on stage and all the fear and worry goes, and I just let go and have all the fun I could ever have singing music that I absolutely love, and I love bantering with the audience infront of me. Creating an atmosphere together. Getting people joining in. I’ve only been able to do this this year. Really let go.

For my first Julie show in Edgworth I was nervous the whole time, and I couldn’t fully settle into it, but my confidence is growing each time I do it, and each time me and George become more of a team too. We have spent all afternoon chatting about how to take it forward, more venues, making a shortened version for the Manchester Fringe show at The Kings Arms on Saturday 23rd July at 2.30pm (we are only allowed a 75 minute slot), a new idea for a Christmas show, how to build and add to Julie, things we can add to the staging etc… Tickets are on sale now for Todmorden and Eccles too.

I’ve added more dates for ’Opera for the People’ too. They are all on my website.//www.iamnicolamills.com I’ve given out so many cards this year. People are passing my name on. I have been planting seeds all year. I wonder where they will grow.

June has been a really busy month for me. Concerts for the jubilee, my Julie show, Opera for the People, private events, rehearsals and the week of performing for ‘My Fair Lady’ with All Saints, Bury amateur dramatics group at The Met in Bury. They did amazingly. I was absolutely so happy to see them all rocking it on stage. And they really did. They went for it, and they shone. It was a really entertaining uplifting show. Jon loved it, and I got a card with some lovely comments in it. Really enjoyed doing this job and I will miss it. I’ve really enjoyed coaching people and helping them to find their way of doing it, and to feel confident with themselves. Photos of the show courtesy of graeme@photoprint.co.uk

I’m definitely not complaining about being really busy, but I’ve reached my limit now, and I’m happy that I don’t have much in my diary right now and can just step back a bit.

I did a concert on Sunday with Oldham Symphony Orchestra. A real opera concert. It’s been a long time, and I really loved it. Got my ballgown on and all that. It’s been a while since I’ve done one and the arias they asked me to do were challenging ones. The two Mimi arias from La Boheme, Micaela’s aria from Carmen, The Jewel Song from Faust, Song to the Moon from Rusalka and ‘Una voce poco fa’ from The Barber of Seville.

I can be a real worrier and the scenarios in my head can build. All throughout the week I was worried I couldn’t manage it, was too much for me with all the other stuff on this week (at the theatre every night for the My Fair Lady), singing at Kiplin Hall in Richmond, singing at The Todmorden Country Fair on Saturday. I was convinced I was going to not manage, and then I turned up to the rehearsal, went through it all still worried, walked on stage and ’boom’, it all just popped out. I was in a zone and I don’t think I have ever sang so well.

Again, no fear and just really ’in’ with all my energy for the music and audience. I felt like I was on fire. A totally new feeling for me. Some of the men from Saddleworth Male Voice Choir were there too, and one of the guys sent me this.

I’ve got a couple of things coming up after this holiday and I’m waiting to hear about some dates from the Lancashire rural touring people. I have ’The Last Night of the Proms’ at The Piece Hall (which is more or less sold out now), an Opera for the People in Grassington, an event at Christ Church in Southport, and then quite a few events in the Autumn, and then let’s just see what comes in. I would love to get the Christmas show with George up and running too, and I want to get my application for Help Musicians in by the end of July. Hopefully I can generate some help with setting some things up for next year with their help. Take some of the burden off myself. Not only can they help me financially, but give me advice and help on all aspects of setting up a tour. Things that as a singer are not my forte.

Just before we were getting ready to go on stage for ‘A Spoonful of Julie’ at The Halifax Playhouse I said to George ‘at least we are doing it’. At least I am out there trying to make it work, taking risks and putting myself out there. I’m not sitting in any comfort zones right now. There are none. I’m doing what I can to be me and to not compromise that. In my own lane. Where I like to be. Building a team to do it with me. Step by step and brick by brick. Come on Nick, you can do it. Got Jon, got George, got my close friends who support me all the time. I was singing at a lunchtime Rochdale concert series through Joe Dawson a few weeks back (got some lovely stuff from a charity shop there and they have a cracking fruit and veg shop too) and I went to see a medium. She told me last October that I would be in a relationship soon and she described him to a tee, and then a month later I met Jon. This time, my brother David came through (died when I was 19), and she asked who Jon was. Spot on again. Basically, keep going, this is just the beginning. Let’s see then.

But first, a holiday. Rest, recharge, recuperate, different foods and a different culture. Love it. It starts with a nice cold gin and tonic later in the garden with Jon looking at the hills, then up, up and away tomorrow. Just got to deal with Ryanscare at the airport.